At the forefront of research into the treatment of mental health problems

Established in 1938, Georgia Regents Medical Center Psychiatry and Health Behavior has grown into a teaching, research and clinical service organization that is the home of several nationally and internationally recognized experts in the treatment of psychiatric disorders. The department is at the forefront of research into the treatment of mental health problems and offers a wide array of treatment and recovery programs.

Clinical Services - Programs

Health Behavior
This program focuses on conditions that are known to respond best to psychotherapeutic interventions such as individual therapy, group therapy, relaxation training, biofeedback, stress management, and coping skills education. Clinicians specialize in the treatment of eating disorders, women's issues, chronic pain or medical illnesses and anxiety disorders, including post-traumatic stress, obsessive-compulsive and panic disorders.

Child and Adolescent Program
The Child and Adolescent Program treats children and adolescents with emotional and behavioral problems and developmental disorders. Specialists accept referrals for difficult-to-diagnose or difficult-to-treat mental health illnesses. Diagnoses include depression, attention deficit disorder, eating disorders, autism and Asperger's Syndrome, early schizophrenia, early bipolar disorder, oppositional defiant disorder and disruptive behavior disorder.

Geropsychiatry Program
Focusing on the issues of older adults, the geriatric program addresses the complex treatment needs of the elderly. As part of the Neuroscience Center of Excellence, Psychiatry and Neurology offer the latest treatment advances in the management and prevention of Alzheimer's Disease.

Schizophrenia and Mood Disorders Program
The Schizophrenia and Mood Disorders Program, or SAM, specializes in treating the most severe and debilitating forms of mental illness. Clinicians use primarily medication management for the treatment of schizophrenia and psychotic disorders, depression and bipolar disorders.

Specialty Programs

Eating Disorders Program
The Eating Disorders Program was created to treat people struggling with symptoms of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and other feeding disturbances. Patients' treatment needs are assessed to determine the most appropriate treatment protocol for their specific symptoms and they may be placed in one or more treatment programs that include inpatient treatment, intensive outpatient treatment and outpatient psychotherapy.

Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder Program
The Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder or “ADHD” Program focuses on providing short-term evaluation and treatment services for children between the ages of three and 16 years that have been diagnosed with ADHD or are suspected of having that condition. Children and adolescents are accepted into either the assessment program, the treatment program or both through direct referrals or referrals from other providers.

Therapeutic Neurostimulation Program
The Therapeutic Neurostimulation Program has been developed to offer state of the art therapies that work by modulating the brain’s activity through direct stimulation. These may prove beneficial when traditional therapies such as medication and psychotherapy have not been successful in the treatment of mental illness and include one of the oldest and consistently effective treatments, electroconvulsive therapy or ECT and a new modality using magnetic energy called transcranial magnetic stimulation or TMS.

Women’s Behavioral Health Program
The Georgia Regents Medical Center Women’s Behavioral Health Program is designed to address the unique mental health needs of women through clinical services and educational programs. The Women’s Behavioral Health clinical programs focus on mental health concerns that are more common in women, or that affect women differently than men. Services include consultation services as well as individual and group psychotherapy.

Inpatient Treatment
This structured, short-term program is focused on crisis stabilization and discharge planning. Programs are available for the treatment of children and adolescents, adults and the elderly with the full range of mental health diagnoses. Treatment is group-oriented, providing psychotherapeutic interventions, education and medication management. Dual-diagnosis treatment and medical detoxification is also offered for substance abusing and chemically dependent patients.